20 "normal" New Zealand things that shocked me! Americans living in New Zealand.
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What are 20 "normal" things in New Zealand that totally surprised me as an American moving to NZ?
Well in this video, you're about to find out! Whether it comes to food, work or general cultural differences, there's so much that has surprised me when it comes to life in New Zealand.
You may have heard me talk about some of these before, but I wanted to create a video that caps most of them off. So sit back, relax and enjoy the video... 🍿
Here we go 😁
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I feel like the only people who actually watch this channel are people from New Zealand and Aussie who are curious about what Americans think of our cultures.
Yes that is most of my audience.
I’m American and I’m fascinated by New Zealand and Australian culture. I hope to visit some day!
@@tristanbaverstock5803 welcome to our place. I hope you can make it. 🙆🏻♀️ 😊 💖
I just found this channel and I am a Finnish who lived in NZ for a year!
I watch them coz I wanna get tf out of the US and trying to find the right spot for my family and be able to prepare lol
A lot of Americans seem to think things are peculiar to the country they are in when in reality they are like that pretty much everywhere outside America. A good half of this list is in no way unique to NZ. It’s the US that’s the peculiar one, very often.
Much like the metric system seems alien to them 😂
Dude, its made for American people. We all know its how most of the world functions. She does a great job sharing her observations.
True.
True. They eat beans on toast in the Caribbean too.
The Metric system has been official in the States since 1866. We lack some government coercion that other nations are privileged to have. See my comments above.
I'm a kiwi and I was having a little giggle at everything she said. BTW I like to eat fish n chips on the beach,. It's a nice setting. I'm 57 now and I've never managed to get sand in my fish n chips lol. No we don't get sand in them, we eat them straight from the paper with tomato sauce
Thanks for watching!
What are beaches for, other than fish and chips? It’s not like we put them on the sand in order to eat them. :-)
@@rsmallfield, you don’t just make a sand pit and dump all your fish and chips into it? /s
I am an Aussie.I like lemon juice or vinegar on fish and chips
In Brazil, fish and chips are the pattern at the beach. And nop, never ate sand! 🤭
I am extremely surprised at how much the customs of New Zealand are similar to those of my country, Peru. We fully understand them.
Because we know the right way to do things
Huachuma grows very well in NZ, too.
That's because we are the same. We have a native potatoe here called peruperu originated from your land
I think a lot of them are just different from the U.S. I'm Canadian, and for a lot of them, I was confused about what's unusual about them.
Wow
Its illegal in NZ to NOT stop at a pedestrian crossing. You can get fined. Hence why pretty much everyone stops and if you don't see a pedestrian it is the fault of the vehicles driver. Its on you. So please always slow and check for no pedestrians.
Also there are warnings that a pedestrian crossing is coming up. It’s the drivers responsibility to pay attention and look for people.
I'm not sure everyone just walks blindly on a pedestrian crossing. A pedestrian is always going to come second in a dispute with a vehicle, even if they have right of way. The same rule applies in Spain.
@@timrussell9869 no one said all pedestrians walk blindly out on a crossing. Just that there are plenty of signs and lines on the road indicating a crossing is coming up. So as a driver it’s your responsibility to be aware and look. No different to seeing traffic lights and stopping when they are red.
She said that on her video...@@TattooedAussieChick
@@timrussell9869 oh yes, she did. Sorry. I thought you were replying to this comment.
As an electrician it is safer to turn the power off before removing the plug. Less chance of an arc being drawn when extracted because of the higher voltage (230 -240V).
Huh, TMYK!
Appliances in the US have an on and off button, like coffee machines, electric grills, etc.. so you turn them off before you unplug them, and when a small appliances are plugged in the voltage is only 120 not 240, only appliances that use 240 volts are Washing Machines, Cloths Dryers, electric stoves. US outlets have a splitter in them to use what the Appliances volts are,
Great insight!!! I will begin doing that
Can confirm. ..made the mistake of unplugging a microwave while it was still operating, didn't get a shock but the marvelous blue spark was a healthy reminder.
high voltage sausage roll!
I am a New Zealander now living in America. When I was younger I asked my dad what happens if you just take the bag of apples from the roadside stall and don't pay?" and he said that would be wrong cause they're not yours. I still remember this interaction 30 years later as it seemed so strikingly simple, if it doesn't belong to you, don't take it. This was a great lesson in right versus wrong.
I was travelling through Arkansas in the US, and saw a vegetable stand like that. I had never seen this before and looked around for an attendant to give the money to, and then noticed the sign that said put the money in a box. When I saw that, I loaded all the produce and drove off with a truck load of free veggies. Just kidding, I actually paid for the vegetables and stuffed the money in the wooden box. I wonder how much those stands lose from theft?
@@mygundidntdoit999 not as much as paying someone to stand there and take the money.
@@SwoonMotionography That's true, it was in the country and they had a stand put up on the side of the road. They had a price tag on the vegetables and a wooden box to put the money in. That farmer who owns the stand probably grew up back in the great depression days when most people were honest and trustworthy.
Some people still steal stuff though...crime everywhere
Not sure how old this video is but I wanted to clear a few things up so other global citizens do NOT think all Americans are uncouth or think other culture’s daily life events or habits are “unusual”. I have traveled around the world thanks to being a member of a multicultural family-Japan, South Africa, Europe, India, Spain, Mexico, Canada, and France. Been to Australia too-loved it! The USA is NOT a country where you can leave your house door open or garage door open because people will steal from you even in the nicest neighborhoods. Even our mail and packages are stolen off our porches!!! Heck, they were even stealing mail out of the post office big mailboxes! In my humble opinion, American parents do NOT teach their children morales, values, how to be a citizen. The USA has the world’s #1 incarceration population. Not many attend churches, but the Islamic and Jewish faiths are stronger. I teach elementary and trust me, everywhere else in the world, NO parents would put up with some random classmate of their child’s screaming, hitting, and disrupting a teacher multiple times a day. Teachers put up with this crappy behavior in every public school and almost every classroom because of US Federal laws which state a child should be in their “least restrictive environment”…to hell with the other 28 kids in the class and their learning, we have to help the 1 because NO child shall be left behind BUT every American kid will behind other kids in the world. I want to let you all know, YES, in the USA, restaurants do have shields or glass around pastries, breads and cakes-go into any bakery, deli or we have lots of restaurants like US National chain Panera Bread. Unsure how many years away or exactly where our American presenter was from but NOBODY writes checks anymore either! Everything is done by phone, iPad or laptop. Everyone deposits checks by phone now. Cash apps, Venmo are a couple of examples. We LOVE eating at the beach with the ocean and nature around us. As a scuba diver, there is NO better venue. I love white bread and get it every chance. I do not like vegemite but my old Aussie beau didn’t understand the American peanut butter either! A lot of lower income Americans cannot afford a washing machine so they go to a laundry mat. In Japan and everywhere else in the world I have been, NObody uses a dryer except Americans. “Privileged “ and didn’t even know it! Please know, the USA is NOT the same country as say 10-15 years ago. The crime, violence, wacky people, lawsuits, crappy Supreme Court and crappy politicians are truly taking down our once amazing country. I know many who are leaving for other places. Thank you for reading MHO.
It's not about the tall poppy syndrome with people here not asking others what they do for a job, it's seen as very rude as it's about NZ priding itself as being an egalitarian society where you dont judge people for what they do for a living(but for who they are as people)hence why most New Zealanders have a wide range of friends from all sorts of different socio economic backgrounds and you can go to a bar or a pub and drink with people on the dole or/and millionaires and everything in between. Where as in the U.S it's very different and people judge one another by how much money they earn. Very different cultures with very different values and ideals
I don't get this. I am a New Zealander and I would say it is quite common for people to ask what you do for a job. I've never felt it was rude when people asked me. I do try to avoid that being the only question I have. There are far more interesting and important things to ask.
@@shoutatthesky I'm not saying people never ever ask(as of course some people do), but it's still seen as rude by many to ask that question straight away after meeting someone and many people don't like it as it can change a person perspective of someone before even getting to know them (unless you're on a date as a conversation filler 😆😉), like they tend to do do alot in the U.S where they put SO much value, worth and emphasis on a persons income and background
I dont think we often ask someone straight off the bat, it's something we might do later on in a conversation. I agree though, we as New Zealanders are more concerned about the character of the person than whether they drive a ferrari.
I read elsewhere that it's because in NZ everyone works for the government anyway, so there's no point in asking! But I'm sure that's exaggerating a bit.
@@GeoffGummer normally first kiwis will ask your name and straight after that they will ask you where you are from.
When I was a child in Australia, we had a Fish & Chip Shop at the end of my street, so we would get food there often. But we didn’t unwrap the parcel of food. We would just tear a hole on one end and reach in and pull the food out. Helps keep the food warm.
Brilliant! I don’t know why we didn’t think of that. Will defs be doing that from now on.
Same in NZ.
That’s the best way to eat your chips, and they stay hotter for longer 👍🏻
so you can walk down the street feasting for hours lol
That's me but only when we're too hungry to go back home
Fun fact, New Zealand was the first country in the world to start using EFTPOS way back in 1984, so if you're in your mid 30's or less, it's just always been a thing.
It was actually 1980. I worked for the company that put it in.it didn't take off because the banks were charging to much. We are the biggest users in the world. Who has cash. With covid pay wave has become the thing
I guess Wikipedia and Google are wrong then. I didn't trust my memory so I looked it up before I made the claim.
NZ ahead of the world. I loved to Australia in 2000 and was shocked at how you couldn’t pay with card at most places. And still using zip zap machines for long after that.
That's because EFTPOS was created by a New Zealander
@@morenz9079 Oh wow, I didn’t know. Go us!
I love that for other people, fish and chips on the beach is so abnormal, however as someone who’s been in New Zealand my whole life, fish and chips on the beach is the most normal, and one of the best memories of my childhood haha
very normal in Brazil too
We love that in Oz too🤩
The sausage sizzle is basically like a kiwi hotdog. Lol while america serves them on bread buns with toppings, we serve em on white bread with fried onions and tomato sauce. It's cheap, its filling and bloody tastes good ☺☺ quite commonly used as a fundraiser for small community groups or school activities.
Yes I have now adapted to the kiwi sausage sizzle and quite like them!
I eat white bread all the time.....she seems to think its unusual to eat white bread....why??
What you described with people not talking about what they do for a living is the opposite of tall poppy syndrome. No one cares what anyone else does for a living... they judge people on their actions, not how much they earn 💜
I found that one interesting because maybe she talks to different people than here in Auckland because that's still one of the first questions people ask when meeting others 😂
@@aimee-leighkelly2906 Auckland is DEFINETLY different. As someone who moved into Auckland form down south most of the people in Auckland are not even Kiwis or are very new to a big city so they often dont act like your average kiwis.
@@MrSilverfish12 Yeah well I've never been down south and I agree that northland and Southland are very different but I've all around north Island and that's what I've seen up here
Americans are judged by what they do as a job it’s what they are raised to do In nz we go by the person
In saying that there are a fair fee that still ask that question yes Auckland esp
Eggnog is a winter thing because it's rich and warm and great when it's cold. When it's hot, it's horrible drinking that stuff. Mince pies, crackers, and loads of other Xmas traditions are very English. NZ and Australia have strong ties to the UK, so totally normal.
Good point. So true.
Absolutely
Well yea we are part of the commonwealth
Normal in Canada too!
Agree
I'm about 80% sure the reason eggs are refrigerated in the US, is because they need to clean the outside of the egg because their chicken flock (nationally) has salmonella. Cleaning the egg removes the membrane making the egg more susceptible to going bad quickly. Our chickens don't have salmonella and we go to great lengths to keep it that way (friend used to do the chicken testing :)
Yep,after all eggs are naturally made to last long enough for a hen to accumulate enough for her clutch. 3weeks- month.
yes youre in fact 100% correct.
I'm a kiwi living in Australia and I always refrigerate eggs here. I don't think I ever did in NZ. It gets so hot here I'm worried they'll cook in the pantry. I think it's normal to do that here but I might be wrong.
Yes, I've heard the same. Getting rid of battery farming is helping to reduce disease speed too.
It's not really about salmonella, the removal of the membrane definitely makes them more susceptible to infection, there's also something about expansion and contraction of the egg from cooling that pulls in material through the pores. I've had month old eggs sitting on the shelf that went runny due to heat decay (still edible , just not amazing texture) weren't rotten due to a lack of bacterial infection, which is pretty surprising considering they come with feathers and poop on them pretty commonly.
as a Physician I worked in NZ and I was surprised to see people coming into the hospital with no shoes and they don't call you doctor---they call u by your first name.
Well it’d be rude to just call you by your profession, especially if a name is given
Doctors call us by our first names, not MR... any more. We usually refer to their title outside facilities. Specialists are usually MR .... You don't call an electrician or lawyer by their trade/profession ? That's not to say we don't appreciate the work all health workers do, we are just being friendly. My doctor once called me 'mate' - I wasn't offended at all.
We don't actually roll the fish and chips in the sand like some kind of giant insane racoon before putting it in our mouths. Just don't have beach fish and chips in a cyclone and you'll be fine. Btw. pedestrians are not supposed to just walk out onto a crossing, the road code is quite clear that they are supposed to look both ways first. they are taught this in primary school. so it's ok to run them over.
giant insane raccoon....Bwaahaahaaah!!!!
Thanks for your permission 😜
yes thank you. We are taught in primary school to look both ways. When a person crosses the road without looking thats what you call an idiot
Also do the still put the diamonds on the road by crossing ? I grew up thinking you had to look both ways and if the vehicle had gone passed the diamond it wouldn't have time to stop, so don't walk out.
a pedestrian isn't supposed to just WALK onto the crossing.. you're sposed to look right then left and proceed if clear.. a Vehicle tho is required to stop for a pedestrian if they are at the crossing or on it.. obviously.. so if you're driving along a road and come to a crossing with someone standing there about to cross you MUST stop... if you don't could get a fine or seriously cussed at and one never knows... maybe even have a shoe or such tossed at you
Power outlets were one of the things that unsettled me in the USA. We stayed at an Airbnb and I was quite wary of them; I kept pulling appliances out rather than leaving them plugged in. To me, a Kiwi, no switches to turn off seemed unsafe.
Lol..I can so relate to this ! I come from a family of eletricians, and Not being able to turn things off just traumatised me !!
yeah!! it's crazy I think thats the reason we don't have many electrical fires in nz
There used to be power outlets without switches in NZ. They were given up as a bad thing years ago
Appliances in the US have an on and off switch and I always unplug my coffee machine.
@@marydavis5234 Most appliances in NZ have on-off switches too. It still feels a lot safer to have switches on a power outlet, especially when there are small children in the house.
Leaving work according to the clock vs finishing what you’re doing definitely depends on the job, the organisation and seniority.
if you are on wages with contracted hours, you finish each day at the contracted time. If you are salaried, you finish when your daily tasks are done even if you are a little over the normal time. But take a note of that..... maybe take an equivalent time off and leave a little early next friday!! That will balance things up.
All of those things are perfectly normal in the UK too 😄 And the fruit in mince pies isn’t minced, it’s sultanas, currants and raisins with chopped nuts and mixed peel and usually a little alcohol. Often chopped apples too.
So delicious, xmas fruitmince pies. Mmmm mmmm
And all perfectly normal in South Africa too. Suspect it is actually the US that is odd.
Haha, I completely understand the convenience of the Dryer. I used to value the Dryer over air Drying but then I learnt that with Air Drying your clothes actually allows them to last longer, the fabrics are dried more gently, no shrinkage, no warping, reduced wear and tear and it prevents static cling. The air drying allows for a fresher smell, more eco friendly, uses less energy and it's free 😉😉😁😁
Thanks for watching :)
And it kills bacteria 😊
And it is better for the planet. Not using electricity when the sun can do it at no cost :-)
@@SamYoungnz Yess 🤗
True but there are times when a dryer comes in handy, when you need something dry quickly etc, I like the best of both.
Mufti is Arabic and has been used by the British army since the 1800s to describe the clothing worn by off duty officers. Mufti-cops is also a Kiwi informal term for plain clothed police :)
And a mufti car is an undercover police car... 😀👍
That’s interesting.
High schools have a mufti day like wear what you like for the day. Yes back in my hey days we had mufti
Thank you that’s great to know where that term originated from!
@@laviniasmith5265 Strange in this day and age that very few people use the internet for what it was originally designed for.So here goes.Mufti.Coined by the British Army in the middle east as a term for when the officers were off work ,they would remove their uniforms and wear a robe like house coat/dressing gown similar to clothing worn by Muftis(an Islamic judge/scholar}.Hence it's meaning is being out of uniform.Eg.Plain clothes police,mufti.School fundraiser,mufti.Viva Wiki!.
I'm an American. Born, raised, and raising my kids in Wyoming. In a rural part, where you used to be able to go on the honor-system, do business on a handshake, etc. If you didn't have the money today but you needed the commodity, you could have it... and you would go out of your way to pay it up as soon as you could. (I am "dating myself" because things aren't like that anymore... But I remember and I miss that!) I was raised on family farms that no longer exist unless the family in question has plenty of other money. Manure was valuable. I still have the layer of callous on the soles of my feet from running around half of the year barefooted. Sausages and hotdogs get served on bread in my world. Eating out-of-doors, anywhere, any season, is fine with me. Traveling in my youth involved bringing a bag of bread, some cheese, pickles, a pack of weenies or bologna... And stopping at the side of the road and cooking the meat and cheese on a stick, and eating it right there wrapped in bread. We always make mince pies and fruitcake... and we eat it! Ingenuity to do everything has always been a way of life; from patching a fench to making homegrown play equipment. I always have coffee and tea for unplanned visitors. I'm trustworthy with others' property, housekeys, passwords, and account numbers. I try to leave things better than I found them, as in clean, restored, repaired. If you need it, I can loan it to you or just let you have it - it all comes out even in the end. I like to trust people and to be trustworthy. I know this isn't how things are in much of the U.S. - Or how they are anymore. - I think I wanna come live in NZ!
That's amazing, thank you for sharing. I hope you can come to NZ soon :)
We don't just use clotheslines because they're cheap they're also energy efficient, something kiwis generally care alot about
With 230-240V at the outlets (compared with US 130V, it's no wonder! Lol) I much prefer the environmentally friendly and natural in any case. 😊
I read somewhere that hanging up washing in the gardens of US apartment blocks will lead to your neighbours complaining to the managers of the block.
This is such an interesting video for me. I’m from the Netherlands, never been to NZ but did go the US and was curious to know what surprised you about NZ since I don’t know much about it. But most of the things you mention are very familiar to me, like the money transfer system, the toilets, the work mentality where overtime is not expected and we also don’t talk a lot about work in our free time. Even the stalls at farms that are based on trust can be found here in rural areas. Also the coffee and camping culture, the display of food that you actually eat, not using a dryer (much better for your clothes), the brown eggs you don’t have to refrigerate. NewZealand surprisingly sounds a lot like Europe apart from some specifically cultural things, like barefoot walking. Thanks for this insight!
Nz has a strong Dutch heritage in some ways from settlers. I noticed a lot of similarities when visiting the Netherlands. I really liked it there and could see myself living there :)
Serioisly....NZ is very overrated and isolated islands in the middle of nowhere. It is pretty good country to travel around only in summertime when the weather is decent. Otherwise...I would not recommend you to live here.
@@user-oz7gc9bi7w Well it has a Dutch name. 😁
@@alexradojkovic9671 for how much longer I don't know! If certain political parties have their way it may change. 😅
Slava Richter .. seriously you don’t have to stay here if you don’t like it
"When in Rome_ _ _." Come on Tara: get the clothes hung out on line that's behind you in the video, go to the loo (single flush only), make sure you've turned all the power off, put the kids in mufti while you get your togs on, leave the house barefoot (taking care not to stand in worm wee), go across the pedestrian crossing to the takeaways, pay for fish and chips, a strong takeout coffee, and a meatless Xmas mince pie from the cabinet with eftpos, while being eternally grateful they don't sell eggnog, and get down to the beach, consume them all, and chill out, and say to yourself, "I'm so lucky to be here," or even, "it could be worse."
Nice summary Tim!! Thanks for watching
Yeah kiwi humor lmao
Well said, Tim.
@@Kiwiamericans Apparently Christmas mince pies used to have meat in them, along with suet, dried fruit, and spices. We don't put nuts in them, nor meat or suet, but do use spices along with the minced, dried fruit. Yum!
Australia and New Zealand are so similar in what you just mentioned. Both countries were heavily influenced by Great Britain. Love fruit cake at Christmas particularly with custard
You aren’t that different from the UK - but you’re both different in all the ways that you do differ from us if that makes sense?
As an American who’s lived my whole life in Florida, eating fish & chips on the beach is the best. My favorite meal in my favorite spot 🎉 you have a beautiful country and awesome traditions!
I believe the dryer is seen as a bit wasteful too, especially on a nice sunny or windy day. Pop the clothes out and let nature do its thing. Probably keeps clothes in better condition too with not applying direct blowing heat etc. Which is why people can keep clothes for so long
Hanging to dry is definitely better for the clothes! I'm in the Netherlands and we dry clothes inside hanging on a rack and only use the dryer in the middle of winter or for towels. Sunlight is also great for removing stains!
Some subdivision don't allow outdoor clothes lines as it makes the burbs untidy!!!?
@@judegalligan7985 which is just so silly. People live in houses and suburbs, laundry is part of life. Are people really that offended by seeing clothes hanging,? 🤔😅
@@judegalligan7985 it’s cos men only get new undies on Father’s Day
@@judegalligan7985 Where do you live? As most clotheslines are in the backyard, how does hanging clothes out make the neighbourhood look untidy? Only your neighbours would see the clothes.
3 Items - the law in NZ gives Pedestrians on Zebra crossing the right of way, if you fail to stop you can be prosecuted if you his a pedestrian. 2ndly, It was a Kiwi who basically invented and set up the EFTPOS system (Electronic Funds Transfer @ Point of Sale - yes, that is a awkward Acronym), starting in Auckland and spreading very quickly nationwide. It is now run by a large nationwide computer network, paid for by all the banks together and linked to the banks, VISA and Master Card, but not AFAIK to DC or Amex. (I have a Mastercard Debit account linked to one of my Bank accounts. Nowadays many people, myself included, do not carry cash at all, or only rarely. Oh, and the inventor(s) are all rather rich! Third thing: Bank transfers are an outgrowth of EFTPOS. With all the banks directly linked, it becomes very simple to move money around within the system (Essentially, you are using EFTPOS to redirect your money to their account.
Actually it was invented in the 🇺🇸 in 1981, but due to the nature of the banking system, it did not functionally really take off until 20 years late. It arrived in New Zealand in 1985, with BNZ copying the concept, and because our banking system has less moving parts and a vastly different legal environment it took off rapidly. We in no way invented it however.
It's also a road rule that a pedestrian must not step onto a pedestrian crossing if any vehicles are so close to the crossing that they cannot stop.
@@WarriorKiwi007 EFTPOS was actually introduced to Australia in 1983 as a shared service by all of the Australian-based banks.
@@andytaus1939 Cool. How that is relevant to a discussion around the history of EFTPOS in New Zealand I do not know. Last I checked Australia and New Zealand were and are two seperate countries. As such the fact EFTPOS started in Australia ahead of New Zealand is something I am happy to take your word for, it is not a correction on what I wrote. No matter how much you try and 'correct' the 'ignorant' Kiwi. Bye
Being a kiwi here I enjoy your commentary of NZ. It's such a "Crack up' where kiwis don't even give these things a second thought on what is everyday occurrences. Here! Love your responses to your experiences. Keep it up
Glad you enjoyed it - it is a real honour to be here!
I went many years ago to England and was staying with friends in Birmingham. I walked down to the shops wearing jandals because I really wanted to go barefoot but thought I better not. People were laughing out loud at me and pointing. I didn’t understand for hours what they were laughing at and was trying to work it out🤔. Finally when I got back to the house and told my pommie friends they explained it was my jandals. Well maybe I should’ve gone barefoot🤣
Must have been sometime ago as jandals are quite common now.
😂 great story, they would have laughed at me too lol.
Beans on Toast is not unique to New Zealand. It originally comes from the UK and even here in Australia we have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. On Saturday afternoon I had bacon and beans on toast which I know most people hate but I don't mind it from time to time. I wouldn't pay for it in a cafe though.
And even better with vegemite on the toast 😊
i would pay for it if it was on the menu and i fancied it at the time, especially accompanied by sausage, bacon, egg etc
Its a great meal. I use wholewheat toast, becoz I like it better, and top it with a fried egg. Theres protein in the eggs and beans, and carbs for energy in the bread, and lots of fibre to keep the bowels going...bbbrrrppp...excuse me!!
@@martinmckowen1588 Marmite, thank you very much!! Lol. Nope, I'd pass on mixing those ingredients.
Also very common in my province in Canada! I also noticed that she seemed to think all beans come from a can. Most of the time here if beans and toast are served, the beans are homemade in a slow cooker.
So many 'English' things in your observations. Having emigrated to NZ from the UK 20 years ago, I felt right at home. Especially the beans on toast, fish n' chips, switches on outlets, hanging out our washing, honesty boxes, mince pies, crackers, mufti and even worm wee! The only thing I noticed when I first came here that was different was 'Morning Tea', something that seemed cute and from the 19th Century. I'm working on going barefoot. I greatly admire that Kiwi trait but I agree, it's not always second nature :)
Awesome - Thanks for watching.
@@Kiwiamericans forgot to mention Christmas fruit cake. Very English. Can't imagine the season without it, even though it's summer here and fruit cake isn't really what one feels like eating. We throw in a Kiwi Pavlova with lots of fresh fruit.
@@candyclews4047 What! You don't have morning tea in the UK? Elevenses, then? We sometimes used to call it morning smoko 😄 to differentiate between that and afternoon smoko! 😄😄😄 I love Christmas fruitcake, preferably without nuts, but especially with almond icing.
@@judylloyd7901 Yes, elevenses or just coffee break.
Where are all these un-shoed kiwis?? I'm guessing it's a regional thing. Unless my shoes are wet, muddy or sandy, they are on my feet. In summer, I quite often wander out into my own garden in bare feet, but I'd at least slip on some jandals to walk down the footpath. I don't want to step in dog poo or broken glass. Or just stub my toe.
One of the big concepts that apply to Kiwi work culture is that you'll frequently meet with you colleagues after work for a bit of a non-work catch-up. We used to do this in Australia, but US influence has damaged this healthy work culture.
I'm from Michigan, visiting NZ for 2 months. It IS possible to dry clothes on the line during our cold northern winters -- even cloth diapers! Is it fun? Nope! Is it better for the planet? Yep! Anyway, the first thing I asked for at our homestay was the drying rack. Experience taught me that electric dryers here take much longer than air drying.. Using the clothes rack right now!
The biggest thing that surprises me is that these 20 things did surprise you. They all seem completely normal in most countries I have been to……although worm wee is a little out there Is it possible the USA is the place that is out of kilter with the rest of the world???
yes
Yep
Well obviously Australia is very similar. But you'd be surprised of things that are normal in Australia and NZ that are very weird to foreigners, not just Americans.
Agree All of the items mentioned have been in Australia for ages. I’d suggest that those thousands and thousands of New Zealanders who have travelled to live in Australia have taken our customs back home to NZ with them.
I was going to ask the same.
As a Maori/New Zealander I just wanted to say I love your videos! I love that you talk about our beautiful country and your life there 😁 this video is so cool felt like just watching a video of my normal every day life
Hunter - that is very kind. Thanks for the encouragement!
I'm from Kenya. The whole idea of NZ, Maoris and all have fascinated me. Really wish to visit and see for myself. Can I really find a friend and resident to aid me travel.
Generally speaking, white shell eggs come from hens with white feathers, while brown shell eggs are produced by hens with brown feathers
Mufti is a common term here in Nigeria too. I think it's a common in British colonies. Mufti means "not uniform". If you wear a certain uniform for a certain event and you are told to wear mufti, it means you should wear a normal cloth that isn't that particular uniform.
Eating on the beach is great. Watching the ocean, feeling the sun & the breeze on your skin while having fish & chips is such a vibe.
That I agree with - it is a vibe for sure!
A little sand just aids in the digestion and helps the with a clean colon! 😉😀👍
Its not like you roll or dunk your food in the sand...
Yeah and feeding the leftovers to the seagulls...
Yessuh
As a 'mature' NZer may I make a few comments re your FASCINATING blog: 1) You mean Americans DON'T eat beans on toast for brekkie? We add bacon and eggs usually. 2) You mean American's DON'T have roadside Honesty Boxes? Why not? 3) We have maybe not the best, but certainly among the best highly nutritious 'white' (it's not really white, more a sort of light brown) bread in the world. During WWII the nutrition content of wheat germ in bread was mandated by law, and bleached flour prohibited. Never been rescinded. Then the Dutch arrived from Indonesia in the 60s and taught us how to MAKE bread - brown bread too. Its good and good for you. Don't mess with the bread (would bring down the govt if it tried.) 4) Barefoot - No snakes or other poisonous creatures (except the odd spider.) No broken glass on the ground. It's hot. Why wouldn't you go barefoot? Also of course Polynesians prohibit shoes inside and that has caught on to the rest of the team of 5 mil.. 5) Your qualifications and job? Who cares? Boring. 6) Fish and chips on the beach? THAT is where the sea gulls are. Plus we don't litter. (There would be hell to pay if someone was seen dropping fish and chip paper on the beach.) Sand keeps your teeth sharp. 7) PEDESTRIAN Crossings. By driving law you have to stop for pedestrians on the crossing. If you hit a pedestrian? Capital punishment. 8) See 3 above. You mean you DON'T serve sausages on white bread? (Good fundraising tool outside shops too.) 9) Effpos - simple. Why make it difficult? Why give a profit to a third party - go bank to bank. 10) Just publish your bank account details and people can pay you. You Americans DON'T do that??? (What are cheques? Just kidding.) 11) The Dutch taught us how to make and drink REAL coffee too. In the sixties they were kicked out of Indonesia, arrived here en masse, threw up their collective hands, and opened the cafes. 12) We make much of our own stuff - have to since things like play equipment or bungee cords not manufactured in NZ and until recently not imported. There is some regulation. You are not supposed to kill people - and especially not tourists. 13) See 11) Our glass cafe cabinets are cooled by law. (You mean Americans eat plastic from cabinets? Surely not.) 14) Until recently people who used driers were frowned upon popularly - doing so was viewed as conspicuous consumption. Plus we are into saving the power bill. This attitude has changed somewhat with the growth of high rise flats (apartments). Sunlight kills bugs including THE bug. That said we still prefer the clothesline to the drier. 15) For the past 20 years or so eggs have had carnitine added to them - or more precisely added to the feed of the chooks (hens) producing them. Twenty years ago they used to be white shelled and yellow yolked here too. VERY controversial addition to chicken feed. 16) Toilets differ everywhere around the world. Ours could certainly do with more water I reckon. 17) HOT POINTS (not 'outlets'). Our power (220-240 volts) has twice the lethal power of American electricity. We keep them turned off so that when the kid pokes a wire into it kid is not fried. More to the point, we turn them off so that when the kid pokes wire into the hotpoint the lights don't fuse and the house doesn't burn down. 18 MUFTI is a military term - Arabic in derivation apparently. 19 Worm wee from home made worm farms - is REAL WORM URINE AND POO.. Makes for fabulous vegies. Plenty of 'how to make a worm farm' websites. 20) Commercial eggnog? COMMERCIAL????? REALLY????????????????????????????????????????? Why?? CHRISTMAS EGGNOG Fills 2 Litre jug-Serves 4 ½ cup sugar 6 eggs, separated ½ teaspoon vanilla 500 ml cream 500 ml milk ½ teaspoon nutmeg ¾ cup brandy ¼ cup rum 1. Beat egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar till thick and creamy. 2. Separately beat whites till stiff and then beat in ¼ sugar to make meringue. 3. Separately whip cream until soft peaks just form. 4. Beat above three mixtures together until just combined. 5. Stir in remaining ingredients. 6. Refrigerate over night. CHRISTMAS CAKE (Make early October.) Line Tin Round 25cm tin 10cm deep. Line bottom with two layers of buttered baking paper. Roll edge under about 1 cm and make small cuts in edge all the way around. Then line side with buttered baking paper extending 6cm above rim. Note: It is critical the baking paper sides have no creases or the cake will crease. Line outside of tin with two layers of brown paper extending to top of baking paper and tie round tin with string. Sit on round piece of cardboard. Ingredients 350g butter 350g sugar 450g flour 1 tsp Baking powder 6 eggs 1 large cup milk 1400g mixed fruit: Citrua rind, sultanas, currents, raisins (Optional addition to mixed fruit: 1 cap angostura bitters) 120g cherries 4 tablespoons golden syrup Method 1. Cream butter and sugar 2. Mix fruit together, and add a little at a time stirring well 3. Warm milk, and mix in golden syrup. Stir into batter. 4. Mix dry ingredients, stir into batter. Fill tin Using a large spoon, carefully spoon mixture across the bottom of the tin ensuring the cake has a perfectly flat bottom. Fill the rest of the tin making sure it goes in evenly. Flatten the top to make sure all the fruit is under batter. Warning: Sugars in exposed fruit may cause the top to burn. Cook No fan. 160 degree C for 3 hrs 15 then reduce to 150 degrees C for 45 minutes. Let cake cool in tin (overnight.) Brandy Turn cake out carefully. Prick top and over it dribble 2 tablespoons of brandy. Continue to mature the cake this way each week until Christmas. Storage Wrap the cake in two layers of waxed paper followed by two layers of tin foil. Place in a metal tin (plastic will cause sweating) and put in a dark place. HAPPY CHRISTMAS - PM and come stay for a night. Genuine. Wine on the deck, saussies on the barbie. I will make you eggnog. Rosie in Whangarei
Hahaha love this 👌
Well said AND she criticized mufti donations, a gold coin. Americans have to pay to hold their own new born babies. WHAT'S WITH THAT
@@waynerobinson2236 can you cite your source for such an unbelievable claim please.
I suspect Wayne means that they have to pay THOUSANDS for private birthing care. What IS with that? Crazy.
Love your post. Love the recipes too.
I say wow! I left NZ many years ago and now they still leave their roadside stalls unattended. Kiwis congrats on maintaining your honesty standards!
Back in 1975, I remember a friend leaving money on the counter at an “honesty garage”. He was surprised at how shocked I was!!
The white bread thing isn't so bad here in Aotearoa. A higher milling extraction rate means that higher levels of nutrients (B vitamins, protein and carbohydrate) are retained in New Zealand bread, so don't get stressed - it's all good! :) You don't know what you're missing with the Southland cheese rolls - they're a yummy treat and as a mum of teens, they're a great and cost effective thing to learn to make.
wasnt that long SX bread in CHCH had chicken feathers in it to make the loaf lighter. Were taken to court I think in the mis 90s White bread is crap. /in 1930 you only need eat 3 slices for nutrition almost 100 years later you have to eat close to a loaf = 23 slices
@@ben9l351 Really? I've never heard of that before lol...or are you talking about l-cysteine, which is a food safe derivative, used in very tiny amounts, as a dough conditioner? It's not usually used in bread, but more in bagels, har rolls and doughnuts that aren't yeast raised.
you should try fairy bread....childhood staple
@@karendoody4581 It's been at every children's party in NZ since the dawn of time lol
All of these things that are absolutely totally normal in NZ and also Australia, just makes me think the US is slightly behind in most areas.
Same in the UK too. All of this is totally normal. Except the worm wee.
Barefoot is normal in South Africa too.its the way we roll here down south.
Yep, like cheques! (checks 😆) Is the US the only country in the world that still writes cheques?
Australia the same but never heard of mufti day. But then again I don't live in the big smoke, maybe an east coast thing.
Myself and my partner gasped about her not eating on the beach..."What a weirdo lol haaa ha honk"
Everyone has fish and chips at the beach in the summer, in Australia and New Zealand. Hanging your clothes on the line means they dry in the sunshine. We have dryers for emergency we wouldn’t dream of using a dryer for all the washing. It is actually worm castings herein Australia and sought after for gardens.
I live in NZ and I was wondering what the heck Tara was talking about when she was talking about worm wee! Then I had an ah ha moment - we call it worm tea in our part of NZ 😂😂
Ok good to know! Thanks for watching.
Hanging your clothes on the line is definitely more Aussie...not NZ where the sun is always blocked by bloody thick clouds all the time.
@@neversayneveragain3748 i suppose that would depend on where you live! Having spent most of my life in either the Bay of Plenty or Waikato my washing (& those of friends and family) have been dried on the clothes line! Not counting those Winter months when it’s raining of course 😂
@@sandrahart6033 I see...good on you
I'm American and I worked for 1 year at Piko Whole Foods in Christchurch (support local and organic co-ops YAY!) in 2009 - 2010. We had so many people coming into the store barefoot, like you mentioned, and ofcourse this was totally no big deal. We used to take dance breaks on the side alley and if you were late to work it was not some enormous deal, as long as you got your duties done no one cared. I was in for a rude awakening after working there when I got back to the US and started working at Whole Foods and was reprimanded for being 2 minutes late to the cash register because I was in the bathroom, which we shared with customers and sometimes there was a line. Piko even had a fun day every month where you dress up and I accidentally got 'dress like a corporate worker' day mixed up which was quite embarassing as no one understood why I was dressed so conservative that day. We had other days where the entire crew wore 'trackies', 80's tracksuits, huge in Aus + NZ back then. Sometimes when no customers were inside we would turn the music up and dance. Definitely the most fun place I ever worked at. Sadly, Piko was demolished after the two big earthquakes that hit CC caused the building to cave in on itself.. but they rebuilt the store in the same location, and it looks more modern now. Anyone looking to support an awesome local and organic co-op, almost all female owned and operated.. with many of my former coworkers still working there --- when in Christchurch please check them out! www.pikowholefoods.co.nz
Olive - what a fun story! Thanks for taking the time to share :)
You can get away with having more individual standards and giving lee-way in more homogeneous places*. In the US you have to enforce a universal standard that may disadvantage more idiosyncratic but effective workers to hold the worse workers to account without being sued.
New Zealand knows a lot about saving electricity. They were the second one to introduce daylight saving time (1895). They saved tons of candle wax ☝🏽
Hopefully we can be the first to get rid of it now that we have electricity everywhere
@@ctakitimu please lead the crowd .
@@roadtoquality All right, I will! I may become power hungry though and become a tyrant. Let's see what happens
Fish & chips wrapped in layers of paper and eaten al Fresco at the beach is a normal thing in Australia too
When my USA hubby bought petrol, the attendant would say "bob's your uncle" he thought I had an uncle bob! I explained it meant "you're good to go" Furrowed brow was his response! Also when I was state side, being in bare feet was a mystery to him.
love the clips keep up the great vids. NZ fan hehe.
Switches are a convenience thing. Where, for example, using charging cables or electrical appliances in the kitchen or the iron in the laundry where surfaces can get wet from time to time, it's just easier to turn these things off given they don't come with their own switch. Flicking a switch is so much easier than repeatedly pulling a plug from and pushing it back into the wall socket. Also if using a multi-board, everything that is plugged into it can be turned off safely in one go. And then there is the Christmas tree. We turn ours on and off each day and it's so much easier than repeatedly unplugging and plugging it back in.
I probably need to move to NZ. Sounds like my kind of place.
Come on over, love to have ya 💜🇳🇿
You do realise house prices are really, really, really expensive.
@EasyDiy Projects and food is expensive
Sounds like everything is expensive…..have to pay for all the “freebies” some kinda way I suppose.
The dual flush toilet was invented in Australia. It is a water saving device… droughts are a thing in Australia.
Australia was the first country to make domestic/consumer dual flush toilets.
@@jurgentreue1200 I live in Costa Rica in Central America and my toilet is a dual flush. Makes sense. Why waste water?
Yep , the hole in the toilet seat was invented by us Kiwis , Aussies couldn`t figure that one out .
Droughts are a thing in NZ too
First time I encountered a toilet in the US, I was running in a panic thinking the bowl was going to overflow 😱😱
The switch on power outlets doesn't save electricity in itself. It may save a small amount if you leave an appliance which sits in "standby mode" plugged into the socket and you then turn off the socket. The appliance will now be completely off and use no electricity at all. It is also a slight safety feature as if children stick anything into the socket it is dead if switched off.
Hi, I'm a kiwi in my 60's.I have to say some of the things you mention are not the norm, in my experience.Walking straight out onto the road at a pedestrian crossing(some people do but they shouldn't).Most stop and wait for the car to slow down.It's ok to be barefoot but not the norm.We don't get sand in our food at the beach if it's not windy,you just need to be careful, and most people would sit on the grass .Worm wee is not that usual I don't think? Plenty of peoole use driers too,especially in Winter.But in Summer why not use the lovely warm weather?There's nothing nicer than how fluffy towels get that have dried in the sunshine.
You buy eggnog at liquor stores in NZ. It comes from Holland. It's a Dutch thing.
Just a fun fact for colour of chicken eggs: Chickens do have ears although they are hidden by the feathers on the side of the head. ... Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs exclusively while birds with dark lobes lay brown eggs. The fascinating Araucana breed of chickens can even have earlobes that are a pale green or blue colour. Thanks for video👍
Interesting....
Not always
Thank you for these I might move there so this is very helpful
Some social gatherings people are sometimes asked to bring a plate. The catch is there needs to be food on the actual plate. Not just an empty plate.
I have a video suggestion if you're interested! ☺️ I'm not sure if you've already done a video specifically on Maori culture, but I'd love to hear about it, even if the knowledge you have is still minimal compared to native kiwis 👍 As an American, it's a shame that we don't respect our native population like New Zealand does. People can be so closed-minded about other belief systems. You don't have to believe in native religion or practices yourself to at least learn about it and be respectful. If nothing else, it's a fascinating cultural exchange to do so! I spent some time on a Navajo reservation in my childhood. It's fascinating! I think NZ's way of integrating Maori culture into everyday life is a beautiful thing, wish we'd do that here 👏 It would be interesting to hear your take overall on the differences between the two countries in this aspect. Example questions: perhaps some background info on their culture? Any beliefs about human existence that are unique to them? Maybe their value system? How is their culture integrated into everyday life in NZ? How could a foreigner be respectful, OR disrespectful, to Maori culture? I could Google all of that of course lol, but a lived experience has more merit than reading articles. Thanks for all the great videos! 😊
Indigo - this is a great idea! I will put that on the list for a video next year :)
I second that.... Great idea! 😀👍
@@kiwi_welltraveled4375 ☺️👍
What a fabulous idea, and it would be wonderful to get the perspective from someone who has been living here for a while now, but who is from another culture. It would also be really interesting to know about the words and phrases in te reo maori that (insert name here, because I'm so sorry but I have forgotten the name of the lady who does these videos - that is so bad...) now knows and perhaps even uses that are common knowledge to her now. There are so many words and phrases that are spoken or used on a daily basis that she may not even realise she uses! Oh actually, perhaps she could ask her children about that too as they attend school here and te reo maori, learning about te tiriti o waitangi, and aspects of tikanga maori are a part of the curriculum here in New Zealand. Would be great to see a video from our lovely lady on these things for sure. Nga mihi mahana.
Great idea 👍
A lot of the Christmas foods in NZ - mince pies, Christmas pud and cake come from the UK. Cant wait to hear what you think of Christmas in the summer. I've been here 18 years and never got used to it!
I lived in the UK for a few years, and loved the colder weather for Christmas, for a change.
I am from the UK but have lived in New Zealand for 11 years and I will never get used to Christmas dinner, all salads, salmon and chicken plus fruit and pavlova. I would love a big roast Turkey dinner with roast potatoes, carrot and turnip, sprouts, peas, stuffing and gravy but its too hot to turn the oven on! I will never get used to having a swim on Christmas day.
@@paulalaurie7935 Can quite understand missing what you have grown up with. Hopefully, sometime in the future when it really is safe to travel, you might be able to treat yourself to spending Christmas/New Year's in the UK. In my case, it would cost me more than an arm and a leg for the airfare for a visit back home in NZ.
@@Hokianga6 I won't be going back to UK, New Zealand is my home and where my children live who are both married to Kiwis. I have no parents and am an only child so what's left of my family is here in New Zealand plus 4 Kiwi grandchildren !
I was raised here and I still get confused by it lol
In the UK we have beans on toast for breakfast I mean I have fish and chips on the beach, weekend in the summer, preferably. We also call it the zebra crossing, never without clicking the button to wait. That’s exactly what we have it’s just a sausage sandwich.
You legally have to stop at a zebra crossing when you are driving. But not other crossings.
The colour of eggs depends on the particular variety / type of laying hens
It thought there was some marketing research thrown in as well? Consumers thought brown eggs were somehow healthier (like brown v white bread) so, heypresto, now all our eggs are brown.
The brown shavers and hyline 'laying machine' type chooks have brown eggs. Aracanas have blue eggs. It comes down to breed. Bright egg yolks just means they are being fed things that intensify the colour. If your chooks are getting plenty of greens the yolk always looks lovely.
Home grown eggs taste the best!!! The whites are as delicious as the yolks.
Sorry but also New Zealand has a extremely strong stance on cage chickens farm, we are mainly Free Range farming for chicken 🐔 and egg 🥚 farming.
No we’re not?! The shelves are predominantly full of non free range eggs. It’s getting better but only in the last 3/4 years. I left the U.K. 17 years ago and I would say we’re still behind them from back then. I struggled to find free range eggs then and was shocked. Lots of euphemisms too, like barn raised which is still horrific and nothing close to free range. Even a lot of the free range are produced by companies that are predominantly not free range focused.
@@SquirrelNutkins I didn't actually say 100% free range however alot of poultry farmers I know in the Waikato are going free range and supermarket chains are trying to to steer away from cage hens.
@@rogerb4436 yeah I know you didn’t say 100%. You said mainly. That’s just not true though. :)
We have our own chooks in the garden, and so do a lot of people I know in town. Most of the eggs eaten in this area are home grown, traded, given away etc. I take all my spare eggs into work and give them to other staff. I actually can't imagine buying eggs again - but if I did have to, as I once did years ago, then I'd make sure they were free range. It's horrific thinking about how much pain and misery battery cage hens are in for their short lives. Mine are ex battery cage hen rescues, they had to learn to hunt bugs and flab and dust bath. I got them years ago, at the end of 'their productive life' supposedly, and they've been laying glorious eggs ever since, and living the good life :-)
@@teejaydiscombobulated2724 I buy most of my eggs from a Saturday farmers market where they have rescued hens too. If not I buy FRENZ which a couple of years ago were the only supermarket brand that weren’t dual suppliers of free/no free range and who were genuinely guaranteed free range. If I had a garden I’d have chickens too. Good on ya.
That's such a great video. You just sit back and have a chat. You should do more like this one.
A big yes to dark orange yolk eggs. You get them in the US at 3x the price, but they are so worth it, and shells can be light blue, white, brown.
Oh thank you for explaining mufti day! It’s our first year with kiddos in NZ schools, and just heard today about mufti day coming up. 😬 🤷🏼♀️ Now I know! Thanks for saving my littles from embarrassment.
Welcome to NZ. Hope you and the littles are liking it here. Mufti day is cool, kiddies gonna love it. 💜❤️
Most Schools in New Zealand who have " Mufti " use the funds for School Cafeteria ( Pie Warmers etc ) or towards things The Students can use so it's a fun / fund raising that they all gain from 😊
Mufti day is usually for school fundraising.
@@mukainiu1080 I was 1 of the First students at a New Intermediate , our Mufti Day Proceeds went towards a Freezer for our Cafeteria so we the Students could have / sell Ice Blocks during Summer and a Pie Warmer for Winter , we used to sell these in the Hall on Table's in the late 60's , at College it was the same but by then they had a Kitchen area where ( 6th / 7th Form ) Students would sell and apply for a Mufti Day to raise funds for the Cafeteria and so on . That was in the early 70's and to the best of my knowledge it was still like that while my Children went to School in N.Z during the 80's / 90's till my youngest in 2002 👍
If there is something you don't know, there is no harm in asking. Can you think of a better way to learn local traditions than from a local? :)
It may have already been said, but the switch on power points is not for saving power but for safety with children sticking items into the power point.
Omg I’m already in love with NZ ❤️ I really wanna live in New Zealand 🇳🇿 🤗
Come on a working holiday here so you can experience it. We'd love to have you visit and maybe stay if you like it here. We're a laid back country
best decision you can possibly make, better than you would believe. Like another reply suggests, come and see but be prepared to never want to leave.
This is great info. I found you a couple weeks ago before my trip to NZ and am still watching while in NZ and it is informative. I am looking to move out of the states and figuring out what the next destination is and you being straightforward is awesome. I have a couple countries in mind to move to but haven’t made up my mind yet. Time for a change but want to research and to talk to individuals who have made the plunge. Love your videos.
I'm from the midwest (like Kiwiamerican) and I'm shocked by the number NZ practices that she seems shocked or disgrunteled about i.e., beans on Toast, white bread used for a sandwhich wrapping, eating food at the beach, dual flush toilets and more. So many of the the things mentioned re just don't seem at all unusal to me, or can be appreciated based on a culture that values community trust (foodstands) the environment (clotheslines) and sponteneous fun. She seems miserable about her experience there - except for the birds.
Agree
Agree. I'm from the western US, and almost all of these things seemed pretty normal. The only ones that were odd to me are the mufti day (never heard of it) and not talking about work. And to be fair, for most Americans talking about work isn't really about some show of status or bragging or whatever. We talk about work simply because it is a part of life and something that most people spend a big chunk of their week doing LOL. You can learn a lot about a person from talking about their job, and you can learn a lot in general by discussing different professions and fields of expertise. There is something quite enjoyable about having a conversation with someone who is really passionate about what they do. So while it's strange to me that it's taboo to talk about your job in NZ, it's only a minor cultural difference that doesn't matter much.
@@themourningstar338 plenty of us Kiwis do talk about what we do for work, and sometimes it can make for a very interesting conversation with a complete stranger in a social setting. The key is, it is not the first thing we talk about. Here it is normal to get to know each other a little bit by saying where we are from and who our family is - this is from Maori culture and many of us have adopted it because it is fun and informative. 💖 Partly too, these things depend on the variety of conversational skills people have.
@ C Ferguson She doesn't seem miserable at all. Most of the things she listed would seem out of the ordinary if I hadn't watched shows from the UK, NZ and Australia. The video also served its purpose.
@@themourningstar338 There are groups I have been a part of in the USA where we do not discuss work. There is also currently a movement to not discuss topics that would socioeconomically divide people, which has been going on several years. In some circles it is considered rude to discuss. But yes, I can see the benefit of learning about other people's work as well.
it is a common rule with the pedestrian crossings because we try to be more pedestrian friendly than car friendly, especially in cities and towns. Its like the unspoken rule... people will defs give you the finger if you dont give way to them sometimes. Also there are so many students and people in general that are on the streets and they dont know any road rules so its just a precaution we take
Thanks for watching.
I am Kiwi I think children can use crossings in a dangerous way .They think cars can always stop. And they have the wright of way. They dont realise they take there life in there own hands.. Some of the stuff is reasent like double flushing loos. When i was a kid that was not a thing. She has sparked lots of discussion so thats great from all over.
On crossings in NZ, when you're driving and approaching a crosswalk, you slow down and check if pedestrians are on the sides or near, & if they are, you stopped that's why pedestrians just walk across without looking, it's the law!! Now that i live in the US, i still practice that!!
Love your videos have you made a video about their recycling system and colors of it and waist disposal?
Awe thanks! Oooh that is a good idea
The switches on the power sockets has nothing to do with saving power it's a safety device we were always taught as kids you never unplug or plug in something without killing the power. As for the mince pie yummy but when they home made
Correct bro I find it absurd that people think turning the power off at the socket saves power. Turning the appliance off or unplugging the appliance is the only thing that stops the power bill growing
I've heard that there are many neighbourhoods in America where you’re not allowed to hang clothes outside because it's "unsightly", which I find so funny! Though they did try to ban it in a Wellington suburb for making it "look like a slum", but they didn't succeed. Also, the power switch thing is kind of to do with voltage differences. Which is apparently also part of why many Americans don't have electric jugs: Because it would take so long to boil that it's not worth it (plus, not the same hot tea culture). It's convenient when you don't want to unplug something but want the power off.
Where in Wellington?
Thank you so much for the video. I really enjoyed it. I want to come to the New Zealand and it has really helped me a lot. Hope to learn more
Well you have come to the right place! I am here to help... www.kiwiamericans.com/new-zealand-training-hub
I grew up in the rural South of the USA. Several things she mentions such as hanging clothes out on a line, going barefoot and brown eggs were completely normal when I was a kid. Some of the other things like dual flush toilets sound like good ideas.
I agree - maybe Wisconsin is different? The areas I've lived in or been to: western NY, PA, VA, TN, SC, Long Island, ME, NH and VT all have a lot of the things she was talking about, like food that you buy from behind the glass display case. Stores that put up signs in the summer saying that you need to put shoes and a shirt on to come in. Atlantic beaches have tons of food shops on the shore. There's lots of variations of roadside stands all over VT and I've seen clothes hanging out even in winter - and this reminds me that I've always wanted to test that to see if it works - lol. It's 31 at the moment and humidity of 75%.
I have seen these in the USA as well. It puzzles me someone has not. There are also places where shoes are required, depicted on signs.... which suggests people are going barefoot. Regarding the water saving toilet options, I have seen those in the USA, too.
It’s called ‘worm tea’ where I live in Wellington. Going barefoot is probably more of a rural or beach, or certain part of the country thing - it’s not like you’d see it everywhere if you’d just hopped off a plane. And, one of my favourite things in this world is the smell of sunshine on my sheets. This summer give it a go!!
Hello. Louise
Coming from Britain and having lived in Australia, most of these normal every day Kiwi things you mention are normal things for me here and in Australia. Fruit mince pies, Christmas pudding and Brandy sauce all originated from the English. At Christmas time my parents would hide the then silver coins in the Christmas Pudding, pour Brandy over it and set fire to it, as we watched the blue flames burn off the alcohol, it was time to eat the Plumb Duff and pull the Christmas Bon Bons (crackers) As it's too hot over here at Christmas time for a traditional hot meal, we now just cook the meat on the BBQ then add salads , cool beers, bubbles, pavlova, strawberries and cream for our Christmas dinner now. I'm from the UK and the only, yes the only Kiwi food delicacy that got me was spaghetti sandwiches, yep genuine Heinz spaghetti in a white bread sandwich. And as for the Kiwi baked beans on toast, just add scrambled egg ( white or brown shelled) sausages, mushrooms, hash browns, and grilled tomato's smothered in Watties tomato sauce, washed down with a large flat white, what a great Kiwi breakfast. A lot of British Christmas traditions came over from Germany and Europe with Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband.
Bazza, you can keep your tradition of Brussel sprouts on Christmas day!
I agree that we can't take credit for baked beans on toast for example Britain definitely has the IP on that one, and in fact, all of the foods mentioned. Possibly the OP hasn't tried hangi, smoked eel, kina etc yet?
TheClunkingFist : I agree, Brussel sprouts, turkey, stuffing, roast pork and apple sauce, bubble and squeak for Christmas, went out when we got a BBQ many years ago.
When I was a boy, I recall getting the sixpence in the Christmas Pud. To this day I still don't know what it means.
I've never heard of spaghetti sandwiches here in NZ, that sounds pretty disgusting. Toast with spaghetti and cheese metled on top is good though. Not a whole lot different than a basic pizza in terms of ingredients I guess.
Great vids!
As a Canadian born New Zealander of over thirty years I enjoyed this. Every year at Christmas time I still look for egg nog at the supermarket but my desire hasn't compelled me to make it yet. Christmas fruit cake is a fairly big deal and many families have a handed down recipe to carry on the tradition. Christmas crackers are fun and kits are available to fill yourself with items as the standard bought crackers can be fairly ho hum and pitched towards young ones. Hmm......those switches on the electrical outlets have no bearing on energy savings/consumption but they provide a means to confidently know a device is truly turned off and from a safety perspective if adds a 50% chance to a toddler I suppose that the power is off (though people use those plastic outlet plugs to deter stray fingers/objects) I do like them and we do have 240 Volts AC as the domestic supply.
I read somewhere long ago that standby lights in a typical NZ home with 2-3 kids can use 60 -100 dollars per year so maybe that is a factor in the energy saving rationale? I dont know how correct or not this is but like I said, I just read that once.
That was GOLD. I just went outside in bare feet and put the washing on the clothes line….with Mr and Mrs Tui (and infant) warbling away in the trees in my yard. We sit in the garden in the mornings, having our 3 shots of coffee (made by a huge Bezzera Coffee Machine) and like you, love the birdsong we are blessed with in suburban Auckland. Great video for sure….Both Pax and I watched it and had a good laugh…….Wishing you and your family a lovely Sunday (PS…the Christmas tree is going up today). BB
Awesome - thanks for watching and yes ours is getting decorated soon as well.
Haha, can identify with a few points when I moved from country X to Australia. Have to say that there are no real negatives and more positives in your points. Re no one caring about what work you do, it helps one to not have your identity tied to your profession. 😁 You're allowed to have a drier if it helps you🙂
Beauregard, not sure how my comment ended here at your post, was supposed to be in top level😁
I have a dryer but prefer to dry in the sun - dryers are noisy and not very eco-friendly. Line drying means my clothes last longer and don't need ironing as creases come out as they dry. I also like that drying in the sun means you get the benefits of the sun killing any harmful bacteria. The dryer is mostly used in the winter for things like sheets and towels. Living in Tauranga, we generally have enough sunny days to line dry other items in winter Eta: Martha's Backyard in Auckland has sold eggnog before.
Yeah the dryer might not cost too much *economically*, but environmentally? 👎
My dryer is in the garage and I've never actually plugged it in... (it was given to me)
In Australia I mostly used the clothesline and the dryer was for winter, or the rare days where it was raining. In Wellington, I live in a townhouse with no clothesline. I use the dryer a lot more, but I have some things that can't go in the dryer so I have one of those mobile clothes airer things. I put it outside if it's not too windy.
@@FerretKibble You made the right choice. For a while I had to use a laundromat because the rental place I was in was bad for drying clothes, and the dryers were definitely way less gentle on my clothes than sun drying. (Lovely people running the place though.)
Your stories you tell are awesome🎉😂
This is a wonderful channel, thank you. We’re considering a trip. What quality items from New Zealand would you suggest bringing back as gifts, art for your home, etc and best places to purchase? Keep up the great work!
Lol, we took overseas visitors for fish and chips on the beach. They started asking about- where are the picnic tables? What about plates and napkins? Nope not here, put the chips package on the sand, squirt out a bit of shared tomato sauce and dig in!
But no double dipping 🤣🤣🤣
There are plenty of picnic tables. Loads of places have them beat the beach.
We have lots of Farm stands with “honesty” boxes for the wonderful fruits and veggies grown here in the Willamette Valley south of Portland, OR. And it is illegal for vehicles not to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks or crossing at unmarked corners in CA and OR. When I drive in downtown Portland or one of the shopping districts of the many neighborhoods, I’m a nervous wreck watching for pedestrian! We plan a NZ trip, thanks for the bank information. We’ll have to figure that out before we get there. Love your videos.
I hope you have a great trip here when you come.
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Thank you! We’re watching everything New Zealand we can find. And we’re anxiously waiting for the country to open. I think it may be 2023 by the time we get there!
@@gypsyelvesj6257 borders open January 2022 I think
They're everywhere. What a weird thing to say is a NZ thing
That leaving at 4 on the dot or whatever your work hours are is what work should be like. But also isn't actually the norm in a lot of businesses and organisations across the country.
Just checking you do know that if the outlets don’t have anything plugged into them it doesn’t matter if the switch is on or off
The switches aren't about saving electricity. It's a safety thing. Also, a lot of appliances made here don't have their own on/off switch so the only way to turn them off is to use the switch at the socket (or unplug). When I moved to NZ (after marrying a Kiwi), we were comparing our irons ... we had the exact same model, but my American one had an off switch and his didn't. :) Also, I was shocked the first time I saw barefoot people in the supermarket. "No shirt, no shoes, no service" would definitely not work here.
I know the barefoot in stores is shocking to me. Thanks for watching :)
@@Kiwiamericans Haha! I grew up with being barefoot most of my childhood, but it was a bit of a surprise the first time I saw people going to the supermarket at night in their pyjamas or onesies!! Not just kids, but women and teenagers too! (I haven't seen any guys in pyjamas, though.) 😄
One thing NZ & Aus did wrong with the power points was put the live pins uppermost. It therefore creates an unsafe condition if for example the plug isn't fully seated and something thin and metallic falls into the gap such as a venetian blind. The powers that be have addressed this in recent times by coating the base of the pins with a layer of plastic but I see this as a fix for a problem that shouldn't have existed in the first place.
@@devilsadvocate2656 The reason for that was if a plug is partially withdrawn and hanging out at an angle, the earth pin is still connected.
@@cool386vintagetechnology6 As my comment refers to the Live & Neutral pins and you are referring to the Earth pin, I fail to grasp the point that you are making. Yes, the Earth pin is longer and remains connected regardless of the seating condition of the plug. However if the plug is not fully seated and something metallic falls into the gap, the offending item will become electrified creating a potentially dangerous situation. Also, the Live & Neutral pins could short blowing the fuse at the fusebox. Again a failure in the basic design. For reference, have to a look at the UK mains plug which features the Earth pin uppermost with Live & Neutral in a more protected position underneath. From a safety point of view, the Aus/NZ power point should have been inverted to put the Earth pin uppermost. Although I note that many powerstrips and the like recess the sockets in a shallow well avoiding issues with plug seating.
The leaving on time thing is because if you ever give the bosses a millimetre, they'll take a kilometre. Very important if your employer doesn't pay overtime. I think NZ was the 1st country to fully adopt an EFT-POS system. We've had it for roughly 40 years now. The switch on power outlets is more a child safety issue than a power saving issue. Still don't know what eggnog is.
Garth - what no eggnog? It is only the best Christmas drink of all time. Well you either love it or hate it! Thanks for watching.
never tried egg nog but i know what it is. Its a common drink in the UK at christmas time too
nobody wants to drink eggnog in the middle of summer in 40 degree weather
@@Kiwiamericans Eggnog has become popular here in Australia in the past few years. This year the company Pauls has put out the normal non-alcoholic version but also a Bailey's version and a Bundaberg Rum version.
@@erose1710 Yes, yum!
Switches on power outlets are because just pulling the plug out isn’t so safe with 240V instead of the wimpy US 110V. Also all new houses must have safety cutout switches at the fuse box.
Great videos, as someone just at a curious stage about going to NZ these are great for everyday life over there
A tip for hanging your clothes outside in Summer,hang your clothes inside out. Depending where you are but in general the sun can be so harsh in NZ it can bleach your clothes. Oh and growing up we had a dryer for in Winter so no worries
Thanks for the tip! Thanks for watching :)
I think hanging your clothes out is cultural thing. But with good ramifications. Our power grid is stretched to over capacity and the less power we personally use is good for New Zealand. And clothes feel plus smell better dried outdoors.
Hi I am from Weymouth Auckland ..Hanging your clothes on the line means they dry in the sunshine, which is in fact much more healthier, than a dryer. I obviously think it better for the person who, not only want their clothes' to be aired naturally > As for the economics it such a waste of resources and electricity. In Wellington like Palmerston North you have all that wind , right outside your home.
Nice sales pitch - ha ha. Hmmm talk to be when you have 4 kids :). Thanks for watching.
Lol yeah here in Palmerston North our ideal line drying conditions are always met! Sunshine and a breeze. Bone dry in less than an hour 👌
Yeap totally agree! My mum raised 6 of us and has always hung her clothes on the line, i've been raised knowing it's better to dry your clothes in fresh air and sun. Winter's are not as great, but you learn to work around it 😀.
@@zedna010 Thank you... Just a point.. I did not add this for anything but what think is obviosity.. As a USA Citizen.. what is normal for us might not be right other people. I really like what she has too say ... she is much better educated than I as I am a Vet ( Sgt) I NOT THE IQ THAT SHE HAS TOO ALL MANY BLESSINGS Just realized have caps on .. but oh well .. be blessed
In the UK the savoury food is minced meat or minced beef (2 words with a “d” on the end of the word). The fruit filling in pies is one word, “mincemeat”.
I myself have a line and a dryer. I tend to use the Line more for towels and sheets - especially in the summer/better weather. The Dryer I use during the colder/wetter times. :)